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The socialite life tv3/12/2023 ![]() The 2004 Gender Recognition Act was in part informed by her divorce, posited Dawson, and her fame had certainly opened the eyes of the public to the existence of trans women. But there was little interrogation of how her story had changed things for transgender people today. This was an illuminating and equally entertaining film, and a worthy addition to Channel 4’s comprehensive Pride line-up. It was Callow who suggested to then Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt that Ashley be given an MBE for services to the transgender community, one of the few things he’s proud of in his life, he revealed. ![]() ![]() Ashley was awarded an MBE for services to the transgender community (Photo: PA Images/Alamy)īut once again, Ashley picked herself up and lived life exactly as she wanted. Whether trans women are “real women” is a “debate” that rages on in the media today, Dawson pointed out. It was a powerful moment, to watch her friends and trans activists listen to – and be devastated by – the judge’s shocking ruling that “April Ashley is not a woman for the purposes of marriage and was at all times a biological male”. She had to undergo invasive medical examinations to determine whether her vagina was “normal” or not. Plus, a bigger hurdle was on the way, when her husband Arthur Corbett, heir to Lord Rowallan, filed to annul their marriage on the basis that Ashley was a “man”. It must have been absolutely horrific.”īut Ashley, as the documentary made abundantly clear, was not one to allow such hiccups to trip her up. Hannah Graf, who was formerly the highest-ranking transgender officer in the British Army and was also outed on the front page of a national newspaper, sympathised: “It’s an extremely exposing position to be in. A Vogue model, an It Girl and climbing society’s ranks (as well as being a woman, Ashley always dreamed of being upper class), she was living her dream – until a so-called friend told The Sunday People she was trans, for the insulting fee of £5. “Those were the happiest times of my life,” we saw Ashley tell an interviewer in archive footage, and it’s not hard to see why. The surgery went well, and Ashley moved back to London and pursued her dream of becoming a model. She was just the ninth patient her doctor had operated on, proof that “trans people would rather die” than live as the wrong gender, according to Craggs. Her legacy was bolstered by testimony from trans voices, too: Juno Dawson, Charlie Craggs, and Jake and Hannah Graf.Īfter dancing in Paris’s famed Carrousel Theatre (where Elvis was reportedly a patron) and finding her tribe, Ashley travelled to Casablanca to undergo gender reassignment surgery. They painted a picture of Ashley as a force of nature. Peter Tatchell, Boy George, Paul O’Grady, Grayson Perry and Simon Callow, who described her as “queenly … like meeting someone from a novel”, all spoke with great reverence and warmth for their friend. She is also the creator of the highly successful bakery crawl, Sugar Coma®.The calibre of contributors speaks to how well-loved and respected Ashley was. Shameeka is the host of, a lifestyle talk show/podcast on BlogTalk Radio and she also hosts UnWicked: The Modern StepMom’s Guide To Keeping Her Cool on MomTV. Her niche is identifying instructive needs and creating fresh opportunities in the realms of social media and traditional learning environments. She is also a Path 2 Peace Ambassador, who assists Rwandan women with empowerment and economic development by promoting their crafts, including The O Bracelet featured in O Magazine and an AFLAC Ambassador, bringing awareness to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.Ī corporate educator for over a decade, Shameeka's passion rests in the synergies between the possibilities in new media and utilizing unthinkable experiences as a conduit to education and awareness. Shameeka was an invited speaker at BlogHer 09 and Blogalicious 09, women-centric conferences designed for bloggers. Through her blog,The Broke Socialite (Shameeka Ayers dispenses lifestyle-centric tips, tricks and anecdotal advice which lend to living a fabulously austere and glorious life.Īn avid social networker and one of the most influential Twitter users in Atlanta, The Broke Socialite, Shameeka Ayers, has been featured in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and was a first runner-up in both the popular vote and the editors’ choice for the publication’s “Best of the Big A” Award (Category: Favorite Local Blogger).
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